Recently, McCain staffer and neocon talking head Michael Goldfarb decided to lash out at DailyKos in response to a post concerning McCain's story about a guard drawing a cross in the dirt. At the same time, and for no logical reason whatsoever, he felt the need to insult players of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, a game which has millions of players around the world, many of whom serve in the military.
It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others. John McCain has often said he witnessed a thousand acts of bravery while he was imprisoned, and though not every one has been submitted into the public record, they are remembered by the men who were there (one such only recently reported by Karl Rove though it escaped mention in any of Senator McCain's books). But as Swindle said, this is a "desperate group of people trying to make something out of nothing."
Hasbro, the massive corporation behind Wizards of the Coast, the subsidiary that publishes D&D, wasn't too happy with either Goldfarb's tone or his obvious ignorance of the D&D demographic, and sent an open letter from their Senior Vice President to Mr. Goldfarb to express their concern.
August 28th, 2008
Michael Goldfarb
1235 S. Clark St, Suite M
Arlington, VA 22202
Dear Mr. Goldfarb,
I was disappointed to read the disparaging intent of your comments regarding Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fans, both in your response to New York Times editors, and on the John McCain campaign website.
Dungeons & Dragons is a global game with millions of consumers in the U.S. and abroad. The brand is owned by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.
For fans, the game is essentially about heroism and therefore it is not surprising to us that thousands of military personnel play and enjoy the game. Hasbro, in turn, supports the U.S. Armed Forces by sending multiple crates of game products, including Dungeons & Dragons, to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recently a soldier who saw your comments online said, "Wizards of the Coast (the makers of D&D) has sent care packages to the troops on many occasions, providing free gaming supplies in support of our men and women serving the country overseas to help them decompress after hours. McCain's people should really check their facts before they spout off. Does John McCain have no idea how many GIs play D&D?"
We would very much appreciate you not making any more condescending comments about D&D -- as it is a great game enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Wayne Charness
Senior Vice President
Hasbro, Inc.
Now, let's hope that Mr. Goldfarb can learn to keep his mouth shut before insulting the thousands of men and women in our armed forces who enjoy playing D&D to unwind... but let's not hold our breath.